Other-world landscapes - 26 May 2008

The roar from the burners of hot-air balloons encouraged us outside on a beautiful morning to see the colourful spectacle of 17 parties of tourists having an amazing view of the Capadoccian formations as they glided slowly along the valleys in their balloons.

We were collected by a new guide and taken to the Goreme Open Air Museum. This complex was once a theological training school with a number of churches; a multi-story Nunnery; and a multi-storey Monastery all carved out of the soft rock and fairy chimneys. Compared to yesterday the tourist hordes and queues were a tad tiresome but the waits were worth it to see the amazing frescos in some of the churches.

A couple of viewpoints followed: A panoramic view over Pigeon Valley with its many fairy chimney dwellings; and then a look at Uchisar Castle. The castle is, again, an outcrop of tufa stone that had been converted in to a multi-storey “apartment block” with 12-15 rooms per family. Understandably, they were not best pleased when the government moved them all out to new, modern 4-5 room dwellings after a major rock collapse killed a number of those living in the cave homes.

As we had a different guide and tour party today, we ended up back at the same Jewellery factory as yesterday. We skipped the repeat visit and had a walk around Uchisar instead.

Lunch was an amazing affair in a restaurant (Uranus) carved out of the rock. The speciality is a dish called Guvec, which is meat, peppers, tomatoes, spices etc cooked in an earthenware jug which is covered with a tile lid, sealed on with bread dough and slowly cooked for 3 hours. A great production is made of the jar being wheeled to the table and the chef breaking open the dough seal and serving the contents: an experience not to be missed, if you are in the vicinity of Avanos.

It was time for another commercial, so we visited a pottery on the banks of the Red River at Avanos. There are abundant supplies of red clay from the river and white clay from the surrounding hills and, together with the wonderfully detailed hand-painted patterns; the potteries here turn out a colourful selection of ceramic ware. We were particularly taken with a Hittite styled wine jug (possibly called Halkali Ibrik) that was basically a big donut with a base added and a handle/spout attached to the top. However at YTL3300, bargained down to YTL2400, we left it on the shelf.

Back in the real world we stopped at Monk’s Valley to wander amongst the fantastical fairy chimneys with their conical basalt tops that do look like a bunch of monks in their hoods hustling across the landscape, but forever frozen in time.

Smaller formations that are equally surreal were to be seen at our final stop, the Derwent Valley. Looking like something out of science fiction, it is no wonder that this area has featured in films such as Star Wars.

Back at Urgup we had a hour to fill before our next overnight odyssey, this one 13 hours to Izmir, so we wandered the shops and were, as is normal, accosted by the traders in an effort to get us into their shops. Succumbing to the charms of Oktay at Elmas Cini we saw that he had a beautiful Halkali Ibrik in traditional Hittite patterns and colours, the same size as the one we had seen at Avanos for a much more acceptable price. Complete with a 32cm dish to stand it on, we left with our wallet only YTL260 (£122.38) lighter – a saving of £860 over the tourist-trap prices.

Capadoccia - 25 May 2008

The bus arrived at a major bus station somewhere in Capadoccia and we were a trifle unsure of what we were supposed to do or, in fact, if we had arrived at our destination. We later learned that we were in the provincial capital of Nevsehir. The bus officials were asking questions which we either did not understand, or if we did, did not know the answer to. As we were trying desperately to match words we were hearing with words on our itinerary, a helpful young man appeared on the bus saying our name. He was the local agent and had come to this place to ensure that we stayed on the bus until our final destination of Urgup. Once there, he took us to our hotel to give us a chance to freshen up and change for the day ahead.

The bus that collected us from our hotel had an Aussie and two Canadians on board and we added to the collection from the Colonies to complete the small group for the day who set off to explore this part of Capadoccia. A UNESCO World Heritage site since the 50s, this area is characterised by the soft pumice ash layers which, in conjunction with occasional basalt topping combine to create fantasy shapes known locally as Fairy Chimneys. The trace minerals colour the layers green, red and purple and the hard basalt topping protects the softer pumice below from the weathering effects of the elements.

We were dropped at the top of Rose Valley and enjoyed a 4km stroll down to Cavusin at the bottom which was oldest Christian settlement in the area. The locals moved out of their rock houses in the 60s and the houses have unfortunately fallen into disrepair as erosion has eaten away walls and ceilings.

After lunch we had the obligatory tour group stop to worship at the shrine of commerce, this time in the form of an Onyx and Jewellery factory and shop. We drank the hot tea, gazed admiringly and left with our wallets intact heading for the infinitely more interesting Kaymakli Underground City. Discovered only comparatively recently this is an amazing network of streets, rooms and passages carved out of the soft layers of ash. Built as a defensive hiding place, this city once housed 5000 people and has a passage running 9km underground to another similar underground warren, Derinkuyu.

Our last call was Mustafapasa where there are many dwellings made from or cut into the Tufa rock. It looked very similar to Matera in Italy, albeit on a smaller and possibly scruffier scale.

The Yasemin Cave Hotel, a decent climb above the centre of Urgup, afforded us a great view of the surrounding area and the gathering thunderclouds that eventually unleashed their pent up energy. If you are in this area, we recommend staying at this delightful little family-run hotel.

Off to Turkey - 24 May 2008

Today was a day of firsts. First flight with BA, first departure from the new Terminal Five at Heathrow, the first time we were to be met at an airport by a driver with our name held up on a card and the first time a driver did not meet us with a raised card as agreed. And, it was our first trip to Turkey and first visit to Istanbul.

It seemed that half the passengers on our flight into Istanbul were being met by drivers holding cards with names on and although we slowly walked up the line and back down again, our name was not to be seen. After waiting a polite amount of time we rang the local travel agent – oh, the convenience of cell phones - only to be told that the driver was at the airport. The agent called him and found that he had left already. Eventually he returned, found us, and whisked us into Istanbul at break-neck speed.

The agent had arranged transport on an over-subscribed shuttle bus, which took us to the main bus station where we boarded an overnight bus that was scheduled to deliver us to a destination in Capadoccia 12 hours later. The bus had an attendant as well as the driver and we were served tea and cake before settling down for the night and coffee in the morning, along with frequent cups of water.

Pretty as a picture - 18 May 2008

The focus of the day was the Chiltern Hills Vintage Vehicle Rally at a little place called Weston Turville, some 33 miles northwest of home.

Having had a look at the huge range of vintage and classic cars, military vehicles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, tractors and a few traction engines, we left the hustle and bustle of the show and set out for a quiet walk in the countryside.

The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal was only a mile or so due north of the place where the Show was held but we had to walk away from it for about a mile before we could pick up a footpath heading north.

We have often been amused by the fact that footpaths go right through farmyards but today’s footpath took us through the rear section of a private garden. It was clearly marked but, neverthless, one felt quite odd wandering through.

Just before the canal we passed through a Rare Breeds Park and then finally arrived on the towpath. There were 6 brick arch bridges over the canal along the 2 mile stretch, only one of them with a road over it, the rest, presumably, were just farm access points.

Leaving the canal, we headed south back to the Show area, having completed just over 7 miles past hedgerows and through fields ablaze with blossom and wild flowers.

Kelmscott Manor - 11 May 2008

Our Saturday outing up through Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds did not quite go according to plan so we did not manage to visit the places on our intended itinerary. Nevertheless it was beautiful day to be out enjoying a lovely part of the UK countryside and quaint villages like Faringdon.

Sunday was another stunning spring day and we motored from Stratton to Kelmscott through a string of cute villages: Barnsley, Ampney Crucis, Ampney St Mary, Poulton, Down Ampney, Castle Eaton, Hannington, Fairford, Eastleach Martin and finally Kelmscott.

Kelmscott Manor is an Elizabethan farmhouse that became surplus to the owner’s requirements and was let on a long-term tenancy to William Morris of “Arts & Crafts Movement” fame.

It is now preserved as he left it with many of his prints, papers and fabrics on display.

Berlin sights - 5 May 2008

The guidebooks warn of long queues at the Reichstag, so we set off nice and early to get ourselves in place near the head of the queue. The wait was not too long and soon we were enjoying the walk up the double helix spiral ramp that takes visitors to the top of the new dome, designed by Norman Foster, for a panoramic view across Berlin.

Leaving the Reichstag we visited the Brandenburg Gate and the nearby Holocaust Memorial before strolling along Unter den Linten to Museum Island. From the end of Museum Island it is a short walk to the New Synagogue now with a restored dome

A guidebook told us that the 100 bus gave as good a tour of the Berlin sights as a tourist bus so we took the 200 bus to the zoo to catch the 100 bus and ride the route back to town. This afforded us a quick trip through Tiergarten and then back, through the centre, to Alexanderplatz.

From there it was a two-stop train ride to the stop for the East Side Gallery. A 1300m long section of the Wall that is now covered, both sides, with graffiti, making it the longest canvas in the world.

Some of the original graffiti is quite good but unfortunately the graffiti has been graffitied and now the whole thing is quite tatty

Returning to Alexanderplatz we book a tram to the river to catch a 1-hour long boat cruise that gave quite a different perspective on the city and some of its striking new architecture.

With the last of the beautiful afternoon still remaining we set off to find the Otto Weidt Museum. Here, in the actual building where Otto ran a brush factory employing blind and deaf Jews, is told the story of how he protected so many Jews from the Nazis for so long. The usual stories of betrayal by informers, lucky escapes, and tragic murders in the camps are related in the simple and bare rabbit warren of the old factory premises.

Then it was back to our neighbourhood riverside cafe for dinner - before heading for the airport.

It would be a very hardened tourist who could visit Berlin and not be moved by the reminders that exist in so many parts of the city: Checkpoint Charlie; random sections of the Wall; the line of the wall set into the roadways and footpaths; the Topography of Terrors; the Holocaust Memorial; the Jewish Museum; Otto’s factory and so on and although Berlin is a city that is clearly looking to the future, its past will always be present.

An interesting tale relates to the construction of the TV tower at Alexanderplatz. Intended as a symbol of Communist supremacy it remains the second tallest structure in Europe. At a time when the atheistic leaders of the DDR were busy removing crosses from the domes and spires of churches in Eastern Germany, this tower (erected in 1969 with Swedish know-how) unintentionally became the tallest spire in the land. The tessellated surface of the sphere had the effect of creating a giant cross when the sun shone on it earning it the cynical title of The Pope’s Revenge.

Potsdam - 4 May 2008

Not far from Berlin is Potsdam, the area that the rulers retreated to in summer.

A large area around the Schloss Sanssouci (Castle “without a care”) has been turned into a park that contains a number of historic attractions. There is the ‘New’ Palace with its grand servants’ quarters (now a university building); a historic windmill; the Chinese Teahouse; Schloss Charlottenhof; Roman Baths; the Orangerie; the ‘New’ Rooms; the Bildergalerie; the Belvedere; and Schloss Sanssouci itself.

A day-ticket affords entry to them all (except the university buildings) and as they are spread over 287 hectares, there is a fair bit of ground to cover to get the full ticket value.

Once again, we were warned about the queues so started the day with the main attraction, Schloss Sanssouci, the oldest building in the complex, started by Frederick the Great in 1747. As well as the main staterooms one gets to visit the kitchen and the Ladies Wing. Frederick was very keen on the Rococo style so the entire place is entirely over-the-top Rococo ostentation.

One practical feature were wooden boards set into the tile floor alongside the kitchen worktops. Presumably to reduce the effect of standing on a hard, cold, floor all day: a nice touch.

From there, it was a quick trip up and down the mill which, whilst on the historic site, was entirely rebuilt in 1993 after destruction in 1945. Just below the Mill is the Neue Kammern, an original orangery converted in to a guest wing: another feast for the eyes.

Climbing back up the hill there is the current orangery, the largest palace in the complex and while it is an orangery on one side, it is anything but on the other. The palace contains a room full of copies of Raphael paintings and the climb to the tower is worth it for the view over the park and environs.

In the northwest corner of the park is the partly restored Belvedere and from there we headed south to the Neue Palais, or New Palace. (it was ‘new’ in 1763) This ornate baroque building is one of Germany’s most beautiful palaces. Again, the interior is Rococo writ large.

Further south down one of the long avenues we found the turning to head east, across the hippodrome – which hasn’t seen horse in a long while – to the delightful little Schloss Charlottenhof, built in 1829 for the heir to the throne, later King Fredrick Wilhelm IV.
It is a intimate Roman villa with a most unusual Tent Room made of striped canvas to give the illusion of being in a tent.

The day was going quickly so it was a quick peek at the Roman Baths and the Chinese Teahouse before heading back up to the Bildergalerie, Germany’s oldest purpose built museum building. Once again Fredrick’s taste in baroque and rococo are stamped all over it and it would be worth visiting even if it had no paintings on the wall. Beautifully restored it simply gleams with gold leaf.

Tired but satisfied, we collapsed into a bus for a short trip to Potsdam town centre. It was here, in 1945 that Germany was carved up by the Allies. At the far end of the pedestrianised main street we could see the spire of Peter and Paul Church. We have been into hundreds of chapels, churches, abbeys and cathedrals but this one was unique in the decoration.